WC-NNPG slams Naga Hoho for ‘biased narrative’ of Naga issue

DIMAPUR — The Working Committee of the Naga National Political Groups (WC-NNPG) has lashed out at the Naga Hoho for presenting a “degenerated and biased narrative” of the Naga political issue to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his recent yatra in Nagaland.

The WC-NNPG, in a press release, alleged that long after the Eastern Naga People’s Organisation (ENPO), Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) and Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC) abandoned the once close-knit Naga Hoho, the hoho leaders continue to sink further in the eyes of Nagas by “making insensitive remarks sitting atop a directionless Hoho.”

Maintaining that the “biased narrative” does not reflect the sentiment of the Naga people in any manner, the WC-NNPG said that the ruling and opposition party leaders in India including Gandhi, so also every sane Naga, understand that GoI initiated and concluded political negotiations with two Naga entities: the NSCN (IM) with Framework Agreement and the WC-NNPG with Agreed Position.

The working committee claimed that the Naga people, irrespective of political and administrative boundaries, have all understood the political reality through the WC- NNPG status paper, released to the Naga people after the official conclusion of Negotiations on October 31, 2019.

It said that the present Naga Hoho leaders, if they really represent the Naga people, could have saved themselves from further embarrassment had they approached Rahul Gandhi with inclusive views on the Indo-Naga political issue.

“It required the NH to appraise the visiting Congress leader with a common Naga approach. Naga people needed NH to speak for future generations by boldly conveying to Mr. Rahul Gandhi that early honourable and acceptable political solution, that which is practical in the present intricate geo-political environment in SE Asia, was the only way forward for peaceful Nagaland and NE,” the WC-NNPG asserted.

 “Strangely, these unprincipled few, who very often blames the past Congress governments for the Indo-Naga imbroglio, for once, cosied up to a visiting Congress leader and took potshots at current BJP government at the Centre,” it said.

The WC-NNPG went on to mention that tomorrow the script will be different and these same hoho leaders will curse the Congress party again and sing paeans to Prime Minister Modi.

Further, the WC-NNPG alleged that the Naga Hoho was working for two purposes only: One, to keep bluffing Indian leaders and outside world using Naga Hoho banner by “parroting what is parroted to them in Hebron camp.”

“This genre of artificial intelligence is driving the Naga family further apart. Selective memory on Indo-Naga issue by Naga Hoho and few recently formed high sounding forums is to thwart a just and honourable political solution. They write to mislead the GoI and prolong Naga people’s aspiration. Their expression is clear that they exist to sow further discord and division in Naga homeland. Indeed, they will be answerable at an appropriate time,” it said.

“Two, the appalling attempt to stay relevant by pushing in irrelevant agendas in the already mutually concluded political negotiations is only delaying the Naga people of their right to live with dignity, honour and respect,” it added.

Pointing out that the WC-NNPG had laid down the negotiated status paper before the Naga people, it went on to claim that the Naga tribes, the state government, civil societies and Naga intellectuals have all commented on its practical feasibility without compromising Naga history and identity.

“The Naga people and their ancestral lands in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam have been adequately safeguarded through proposed constitutional guarantees. The Government of India has made its position clear. Those seemingly conniving to sabotage and prolong the Indo-Naga political solution for personal gains will be on the dark side of history,” the WC-NNPG asserted.

Also read: Naga political talks concluded, not deadlocked — WC-NNPG